A Guide To Being On Camera

Are you going to be on camera to either present your company, give an interview or perform?

Keep on reading, as we are going to go through some of the most important tips on how to prepare for being on camera!

It can be stressful, as you are in the “hot seat”, but it can also be super exciting if you’re prepared! Sometimes, the most reserved people can open up and become a superstar as soon as the camera starts rolling.

It’s show time!

Let’s start with the basics. These are some useful tips for actions you should be taking to be on top of your performance on the big day.

1. Practise your script and performance.

Unless you’re a supernatural improviser (and even then), you need to be practising whatever it is that you will be doing on camera. Practise your script. Just do it! Read it out loud in front of the mirror, then read it out to someone else. You need to get used to being watched as you perform. If you are preparing for your own video, where you have the power to change the script, make sure it is written in a way that’s natural for you. This will ensure you come across as your most authentic self.

Simple steps to take:

-Read/perform your script out loud to yourself.

-Read/perform your script to someone else.

-Make changes in wording to sound natural.

-Memorise the script.

2. Don’t be stiff.

Before you go on camera, do some jumping jacks, push ups, stretch – get the blood flowing in your body. Just enough so you don’t start sweating.

You’re in show business now, there’s no room for being shy!

Simple steps to take:

-Do 10 jumps.

-Yell from the top of your lungs.

-Stretch.

-Shake and loosen.

-Be the star!

3. Wear camera friendly clothes.

f you think that anything will look good on the big screen – you’re wrong! Cameras are more opinionated than you think and there are certain things that they just can’t stand.

No small patterns. Avoid wearing any clothes with small checkers, thin lines or other patterns that are tiny. Camera sensor will make it into a messy mush of confused pixels that will really distract from your top performance.

See this video to see what we mean:

Keep it simple. Wear clothes that are plain coloured. That doesn’t mean that you have to look boring, just pick nice colours that match and don’t confuse the cameras. Wear your brand colours, or something that complements your skin tone, eyes or your other favourite feature.

We know it’s hard. This black box is staring at you with its judgy cyclops eye. It can be intimidating, but as much as you want to look into the lens, restrain yourself, this can really ruin your shot. You are looking off camera for a reason, when you look at the camera, you break the illusion and draw attention to the fact that this is in fact staged, a video, not real life. We don’t want that!

This is, of course, not applicable for presenting videos where you are looking straight at the lens and address the audience directly. In these instances the opposite is true, don’t look away from the lens while presenting, you want to keep the connection going!

Simple steps to take:

-Concentrate on the person interviewing you.

-Concentrate on your performance, be in the scene.

-Ask the camera operator to see the shot, so you know how you appear in the shot and how much you can move.

5. Understand the shot.

Ask to see the frame so you understand the space you are working within.

Check how much space you have around, so you can control your body language, especially, if you’re a hyper active person who likes to move and talk with your hands a lot.

Simple steps to take:

-Check your shot framing.

-Make sure you don’t come out of the frame.

-Don’t swing back and forth towards the camera too much as you will go out of focus!

Bonus tips:

-Get a good night’s sleep! We all know you’re super busy, but if you’re putting down a good amount of your marketing budget for the video, appreciate your investment and understand that your performance will be 50% of the final video quality. No resolution and image quality will save the video from bad performances.

-Hydrate. Make sure you’re drinking enough water to keep yourself looking and feeling healthy. Water also helps your mouth not to dry out. Just fill that glass up, it will help! Drink as often as you need.

-Pick the right time. If you need to be on camera only for a few hours or less, choose a time of the day when you are at your sharpest. After lunch tends to be the laziest time of the day, so choose wisely, move your schedule around as this will reflect in the quality of your appearance.

That’s it! Simple! Follow these guidelines and you won’t be sorry! Be on top of your game and blow your audience away!

Planning to make a video for your business? Get in touch and have a chat with our team. We offer a Free, No Obligations Consultation!